Bistro Salad

Crispy Potatoes, Bacon and Egg Croquette

The classic bistro salad traditionally consists of a fried egg, bacon, crispy potato and lettuce. Staying within this framework we like to change the way we prepare the egg and potatoes, even substituting smoked salmon or duck prosciutto instead of bacon. Here is one of my favorite versions of the salad.

Fill medium sauce pot with water and bring to a boil. Place eggs in strainer that will fit in the pot, and lower the strainer into the boiling water. Cook eggs for exactly 8 minutes.

Remove the eggs from the pot and submerge into a bowl of ice water. Cool in the ice water for 10 minutes. Gently peel off the egg shells and lightly rinse, being careful to keep the eggs intact.

Coat each egg with flour, dip into the beaten egg mixture and coat with bread crumbs. Put aside until ready to fry.

Heat the canola oil in a high sided sauce pot to 350°F. (See Chef's Note below about proper deep frying. Be sure there are at least 4 inches from the oil's surface to the top of the pot.)

Gently crush each of the marble potatoes, but leave them intact. Lower the potatoes into the hot oil and fry until crispy (see Chef's Note). Remove the potatoes from the oil and place onto a plate lined with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

Wait for the temperature of the oil to return to 350°F. Place each breaded egg into the hot oil to fry until golden brown in color. Remove from the oil and place onto the plate with the crispy potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a salad bowl place the frisee, radicchio, truffle cheese, green beans and bacon. Toss the salad with olive oil, salt, pepper and a light squeeze of lemon juice to taste.

To serve, plate each salad individually and place the crispy potatoes around the salad. Using a paring knife, make a small incision in the center of the egg, and with your hands gently break it open. The yolk will begin to ooze out of the center. Place the split egg on top of the salad and serve immediately.

Chef's Note:

This recipe calls for deep frying. We strongly urge you to look at our Deep Fat Frying Techniques recipe for tips on frying safely at home.